Civil servants are facing a ban on 'nonsense' meetings taking place during the working day as part of a crackdown by ministers.
New rules have been issued to all Whitehall staff 'networks' to ensure their activities remain within the civil service code.
It means all events must now be signed off by a senior official before preparations even begin.
The changes also make clear that events should always take place outside of working hours, unless they directly benefit staff learning and development.
Government ministers and senior Whitehall officials have been concerned by recent reports of 'inappropriate' events being held by some staff networks.
